The present approach relates generally to the field of breast imaging and, more specifically, to compression paddles for use in acquiring breast images.
In modern healthcare facilities, non-invasive imaging approaches are used for identifying, diagnosing, and treating diseases. One purpose to which such techniques are applied is the acquisition of mammographic images for use in identifying and diagnosing lesions or irregularities in the breast tissue.
In conventional approaches, breast imaging or mammography may be implemented using radiographic techniques, such as by projecting X-rays through the breast tissue and reconstructing images based on the differential transmission of the X-rays through the tissue. Such approaches, however, may suffer from various detriments. For example, in such approaches the breast tissue is typically compressed to a substantially uniform thickness so that the X-rays, at all points of interest, are traversing roughly the same thickness of tissue, thereby facilitating analysis. However, such compression can be uncomfortable for the patient. Alternative compression techniques that are suitable for use with appropriate imaging technologies may, therefore, be desirable